My New Taylor 314ce Acoustic Guitar

Recently I decided to “up the ante” as it were and pick up a better acoustic guitar. I have always loved my Taylor 100 Series; it will remain one of my favorite instruments of all time. Mostly because of the memories it has helped me create. All the same, I have been playing guitar for about 7 years now and I figured it was time to upgrade. All of my more seasoned musical friends have told me that the instrument can make such a big difference with regard to your desire to play more. It inspires a certain “stoke” that will have you constantly wondering: “When is the next time I can play my sweet new guitar? Tomorrow? Fifteen minutes? WHEN?”

Needless to say, I was very curious about this elusive “stoke,” and I wanted to see if getting a new guitar would bring it on for me.

For absolute FULL transparency, Wildwood Guitars is one of my clients. I own a company called NerdyMind and we help Wildwood with various online marketing and web development projects. Regardless, I knew who they were before I started working with them. When the chance to work with Wildwood Guitars came about, I was bouncing around the room trying to figure out a way to land the job, and it’s been sweet love ever since. So, YES, Wildwood is one of my clients and I might be a bit biased, but you can’t fake the kind of knowledge that they throw down for their customers. I think Wildwood’s reputation speaks really well for itself, too. Ask anyone who has dealt with them and they will tell you the same kind of story.

It all started with a business meeting. I drove down from Fort Collins to Louisville to meet with members of the company for breakfast. We talked about a plethora of online marketing subjects and website enhancement ideas, along with sharing some musical stories. At the end of the meeting, I mentioned that I wanted to look at a couple of guitars. All of a sudden, the atmosphere changed. I could see a spark of excitement in the crew’s face: They truly love helping people find the right guitar, and they were excited to give me “the stoke.”

We walked into the store and the crew asked me some questions about what I was looking for. I wanted an acoustic with a beautiful cutaway body and great internal electrics. I told them that I am not a pro by ANY means, but that I have started playing in a band and I needed something that would sound good in a variety of different settings. Outside, inside, big auditoriums, small coffee shops…you name it. The crew recommended that I check out the Taylor 314ce LTD KOA acoustic guitar. The size of the guitar fit my body shape well, and the Grand Auditorium body style is made to work in a multitude of environments. And the KOA wood, my lord the KOA wood. It was gorgeous. I will admit, for some things I really do enjoy aesthetics. Instruments being one of them. I tried the 314ce by Taylor and I immediately fell in love, but the Wildwood crew told me to put it aside and try a few other boxes out. They brought out a large assortment of Taylors and Martins for me to play. After all was said and done, I still wanted my Taylor 314ce. It was simply meant to be.

When I made my final decision, the group started hopping around; they cleaned it up and checked the action, they got a really nice hard case out for me…it was as if they were as excited as I was. This, my friends, is what separates the “okay” guitar shops from the great ones. This whole process took about an hour–and they didn’t blink once. They were encouraging me to try a bunch of guitars to see which tone sounded right for me, and they spent a ton of time educating me on the differences between different brands and body types. They wanted to make sure I felt comfortable in my new instrument; the experience was nothing short of pure fun.

I play my new guitar every day. I have “the stoke” that everyone was talking about. One of the best parts about my new guitar is the memory of purchasing it. I will never forget that day and how much fun I had with the Wildwooders. They are some of the nicest, smartest people on the planet and I am so thankful that I get to work with a company that loves what they do like Wildwood does. By the way, Wildwood has a lovely selection of acoustic guitars! Be sure to take a moment and look around. If you have questions, they are just a phone call away. Better yet? Stop in the store if you live close enough!

I have a Taylor 810 and love it; it’s a dreadnaught style, no cutaway or electronics, and it’s probably the closest Taylor ever got to a Martin-style guitar. It’s a shame they don’t make them anymore as far as I can tell.

nerdymind

Hey Wyclif! Thanks for the comment. The Taylor 810 is a wonderful guitar! I bet yours is broken in really nicely, too. It looks like Taylor is still making the 910 Series, which is a dreadnaught style with no cutaway…but it has built-in electronics. Beautiful guitar though! http://www.taylorguitars.com/guitars/acoustic/910e